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Sir Edward John Poynter
(England 1836–1919)
- Title
- The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon
- Other titles:
- The Queen of Sheba before Soloman
- Year
- 1890
- Media
- Painting
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 234.5 x 350.5 x 20.5cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.r., brown oil "18 EJP [monogram] 90".
- Credit
- Purchased 1892
- Accession number
- 898
- Location
- 19th c European art
- Further information
When contemplating this picture it is useful to bear in mind that the second half of the nineteenth century was a period remarkable for archaeological researches and discoveries, especially by English expeditions. The British Museum was a treasure house of antiquities increasingly valued by artists as a reference library. Egypt and the Middle East replaced Greece and Italy as the focus of curiosity. 'The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon' can be contextualised against a craze for orientalist narratives in literature, music and visual art. The wildly composite architectural system of Solomon's temple is reprised in the frame, which bridges the temporal and spatial distance between viewer and subject. The artist has been so obsessed with the accuracy of his details, however, that the figures seem somewhat doll-like. Trained in Paris under Gleyre, Poynter was at heart a Salonist for whom artistry resided in weight of detail rather than dramatic synthesis.
AGNSW Handbook, 1999.
- Provenance
- Thomas McLean Gallery (England), London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Thomas McLean Gallery 1892. Purchased by Thomas McLean from the artist 1890.
- Bibliography (34)
-
A singular voice: essays on Australian art and architecture (2009), Joan Kerr (Australia, b.1938, d.2004) (Author), Power Institute of Fine Arts (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The British Museum Magazine (Spring 2002), Anna Lethbridge (Editor), The British Museum Friends (England), London, England.
Der Spiegel (14 Apr 2001), Editor Unknown (Editor), Publisher unknown, Unknown.
Gold and civilisation (2001), Tom Stannage (Australia) (Author), National Museum of Australia, Canberra (estab. 2001), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria (2001), Angus Trumble (Australia) (Curator), Art Gallery of South Australia (Australia, estab. 1881), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook (1999), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1999 (1999), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1998 (1998), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Brought to light: Australian Art 1850-1965 (1998), Lynne Seear (Australia) (Editor), Julie Ewington (Australia) (Editor), Queensland Art Gallery (Australia, estab. 1895), South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald (20 Dec 1997), Editor Unknown (Editor), John Fairfax & Sons (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Look (Oct 1997), Wendy Symonds (Australia) (Editor), Mount Eagle Publications Pty. Ltd. (Australia), Australia.
Look (Mar 1997), Wendy Symonds (Australia) (Editor), Mount Eagle Publications Pty. Ltd. (Australia), Victoria, Australia.
Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee (1997), Roger Benjamin (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Ursula Prunster (Australia) (Author), Lynne Thornton (Author), Mounira Khemir (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
British painting 1800-1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections (1997), Peter Tomory (United Kingdom) (Author), Anne Kirker (New Zealand; Australia, b.1947) (Author), The Beagle Press (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Yemen - le pays de la reine de Saba (1997), Editor Unknown (Editor), Beaux Arts, Paris, France.
The art of faith: The story of the Bible through the eyes of great artists (1997), Keith White (Author), Paternoster Publishing, Carlisle, Cumbria, England.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections (1994), Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Journey into the Masterpieces (Dec 1993), Shi Kimura (Japan) (Author), Shuji Takashina (Japan) (Author), Koichi Kabayama (Japan) (Author), Kodansha Limited (Japan), Japan.
Solomon's Legacy : A History of Israel from the Death of King Solomon to the Return from Exile (1993), Harry Mayfield (Author), Longman Cheshire Pty Limited (Australia), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
State of the Art (1993), Author Unknown (Author), Publisher unknown.
The Bible in Art (1991), Richard Muhlberger (Author), Portland House (United States of America), New York, United States of America.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook (1988), Annabel Davie (Editor), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings (1987), Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Portrait of a Gallery (1984), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Editor), Jan Meek (Australia) (Editor), Capel Court Corporation Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
History and Legend in some selected paintings at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (1980), Patricia Crawford (Australia) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Victorian Olympians (1975), Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Peter Laverty (England; Australia, b.1926) (Author), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Landscape Painting (1902), A.J. Daplyn (Australia, b.1844, d.1926) (Author), Publisher unknown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The art-journal (1897), Editor Unknown (Editor), George Virtue (England), London, England.
Magazine of Art (1896), Editor Unknown (Editor), Publisher unknown.
The Studio (1896), Editor Unknown (Editor), The Studio Limited (England, estab. 1893, closed 1964), London, England.
The art- journal (1894), Editor Unknown (Editor), George Virtue (England), London, England.
The Sydney Morning Herald (31 Dec 1892), Editor Unknown (Editor), Publisher unknown.
New York Times (14 Aug 1892), Raymond, Jones & Co. (United States of America, estab. 1851), Raymond, Jones & Co. (United States of America, estab. 1851), New York, New York, United States of America.
The meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Edward J. Poynter, R.A. (1890), W. Armstrong (b.1919, d.1994) (Author), Thomas McLean Gallery (England), London, England.
- Exhibition history (8)
-
Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee, (06 Dec 1997–22 Feb 1998), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Victorian Olympians, (12 Aug 1975–14 Sep 1975), at National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road] (Australia, estab. 1968, closed 1999), 180 St Kilda Road Melbourne Victoria Australia 3000.
Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria, (16 Mar 2002–12 May 2002), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Thomas McLean Gallery, 1890, (1890–1890), at Thomas McLean Gallery (England), Thomas McLean Gallery Haymarkert London England.
Unknown, Walker Gallery 1900, (1900–1900), at Walker Art Gallery (England), Liverpool England.
Unknown, Mansion House (Guildhall) one-picture exhibition by living artists in 1900, (1900?–1900?), at Mansion House (England).
Victorian Olympians, (20 Jun 1975–20 Jul 1975), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Victorian Olympians, (26 Sep 1975–26 Oct 1975), at Art Gallery of South Australia (Australia, estab. 1881), North Terrace Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 5000.